Based on previous data from Africa, two vaccines are currently available 85 percent effective prevent smallpox infection in monkeys. They can also be given up to four days after exposure to monkeypox prevent infectionand up to two weeks after exposure to reduce the severity of symptoms in sick people.
Other treatments include an antiviral drug called TPOXX which is approved to treat smallpox in monkeys in the European Union but not in the US yet, where it was only free of smallpox. In order for US doctors to prescribe TPOXX for monkeypox, they must apply to the CDC for the drug and then complete paperwork per person, it is issued per person, which means the prescription is already low. CDC speak it is working to reduce this red ribbon; Patients and healthcare professionals have criticize the organization for not troubleshooting this power supply fast enough.
If someone is seriously ill, US CDC said that two other treatments — a monoclonal antibody called immunization immunoglobulin and an antiviral called cidofovir — could be used. But there is still no data on how effective both are.
Can I get the vaccine even if I haven’t been exposed?
Vaccines are not yet widely available. However, if you are at higher risk for smallpox, you may be eligible for it even if exposure is uncertain.
The current outbreak is mainly spreading among men who have sex with men (MSM). In the United States, this means that MSM has had multiple sexual partners within the past 14 days and lives in areas where monkeypox is widespread. eligible for vaccination, according to CDC. If you think you qualify, contact your healthcare provider.
Note that in some states, the eligibility criteria are broader — so check where you are. For example, in North Carolina, MSMs with multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 90 days are eligible and do not have any regional restrictions. MSMs who have used PrEP in the past 90 days or have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease are also eligible.
That said, be aware that you may have to wait for the dose to become available. At the time of writing, supply shortages mean New York City there were no bookable vaccination appointments and San Francisco had to Closed home vaccination service.
In the UK, MSM with multiple sex partners, engaging in group sex or participating in “sex on site” sites is being prioritized for vaccination. However, if you think you might be eligible, the National Health Service asks you to wait to be invited to get vaccinated — no service included.
Where did monkeypox come from?
While the current outbreak would be the first many people have heard of monkeypox, the virus is thought to have infected humans for centuries, possibly even millennia. A member of the same virus family as chickenpox and smallpox, The first recorded cases of monkeypox were in 1958when there were two outbreaks in groups of laboratory monkeys kept for study – hence the name.
However, this is a bit confusing. Viruses are usually carried by rodents such as squirrels, kangaroos, and parasites, among others. Past cases have often occurred near tropical rainforests of Central and West Africa, where the virus is endemic. From 1980s to 2010, cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) increase more than 14 timesand only in 2020 there are nearly 4,600 suspected cases monkeypox in the DRC. Also had more than 550 suspected cases in Nigeria since 2017. Given these numbers and how the world is connected by air travel, the current global outbreak is not really surprising.
Where Can I Get Reliable Information about Illnesses?
The World Health Organization, US CDCand UK Health Security Agency provided regular updates on Twitter about the monkeypox outbreak. Global Health—An international collaboration that provides real-time data on infectious diseases — has also created a monkeypox tracker to track confirmed and suspected cases as they occur. All provide reliable information about the current outbreak.
It is important to avoid stigmatizing those who are infected. One of the main myths circulating is that monkeypox only affects men who have sex with men, or this group is the cause of the outbreak. People of any gender or sexual orientation can get the disease.
Other particularly wild fallacies include the claim that certain Covid-19 vaccines are causing smallpox in monkeys because they inject chimpanzee genome information into your cells, that the virus that the infection is airborne, that the infection doubles every three days, that monkeypox is as deadly as smallpox, and that it’s an artificial virus leaked from a lab — none of which is correct.
This story was originally published May 27, 2022, and has been updated to reflect new information.
